فصل 02

Chapter 2

Later, he woke up. Harald was asleep. Carl looked at his watch. It was midnight. He called the air hostess.

‘Excuse me. What time to do arrive?’

‘11.30 p.m. local time, sir. That’s about half an hour from now.’ ‘Thank you.’ Carl changed the time on his watch.

‘Anything else, sir?’

‘No, I don’t think so. Oh, wait a minute – could I have a cup of coffee, please?’ ‘Yes, of course, sir.’ He watched her bring the coffee.

‘She walks like my daughter, too,’ he thought. ‘And she is very young. She look nervous, not sure what to do.’ ‘How long have you been an air hostess?’ he asked.

She smiled. ‘Three months, sir,’ she said.

‘Do you like it?’

‘Yes, I love it. It’s very exciting.’ She smiled nervously, ‘Will that be all, sir?’ ‘Yes, thank you’ ‘Have a nice flight.’

He drank the coffee and started to read his newspaper. When Harald woke up, Carl showed him a page in the paper.

‘Look. There you are,’ he said. He pointed to a picture. In the middle of the picture stood Carl himself – a short thin man with grey hair, wearing a suit. Behind him, on the left, was Harald – a tall, strong young man, like a sportsman. Both men were smiling. ‘That’s you and me, outside the Embassy,’ said Carl. ‘We’re in the news again. You can show it to your cons. You’re a famous man, Harald!’ Harald laughed. ‘You’re the famous man, sir, not me,’ he said. ‘I’m just a police officer.

It’s my job to take care of you. That’s photo of you, not me.’

‘Perhaps. But your children think that you’re a famous man, I’m sure. Here, take it, and show it to them.’ ‘OK. Thanks.’ Harald smiled, and put the newspaper in his coat pocket. ‘I think I’ll have a cup of coffee too.’ He called for the air hostess, but she didn’t come. Harald looked surprised.

‘What’s the matter?’ Carl asked.

‘The air hostess,’ Harald said. ‘She’s sitting down talking to those two men.’

Carl looked up and saw the young air hostess. She was sitting in a seat at the front of the plane with two young men. They looked worried and nervous. Suddenly, one of the young men picked up a bag and walked into the pilot’s cabin! The other man and the air hostess followed him.

‘That’s strange,’ said Carl. ‘What are they doing?’

‘I don’t know. It’s very strange,’ said Harald. ‘I don’t like it at all.’ He began to get out of his seat, but then stopped and sat down again.

For one or two minutes nothing happened. None of the other passengers moved or spoke. They had seen the young men too. It became very quiet in the plane.

A bell rang, and for a moment they could hear two voices arguing. Then the pilot spoke.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking. Please do not be afraid. There is a change of plan. We have to land at another airport before we finish our journey. There’s no danger. We will land in fifteen minutes. Please stay in your seats and keep calm. Thank you.’ Then the air hostess came out of the cabin. She looked very different now because she had a machine gun in her hand. She stood at the front of the plane and watched the passengers carefully.